The Other Transcendent
by MaelstromBankai
Summary: Unforeseen circumstances changed the battle with the Rabbit Goddess. Now I'm stuck in this new world, unable to get back and so damned bored. No wonder Madara was a dick. Still, I can't exactly complain; Devils, Angels and all that? Who wouldn't be interested? Now, if only I could get that damned pervert off my back...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!**

**Prologue: Unwelcome Change**

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><p>Perhaps he should've known things wouldn't be so easy. Hell, he <em>should<em> have known it wouldn't be that easy.

The chirping noise was what saved his life; had he not heard them, he most likely would've been stabbed in the heart from behind and killed. With the warning, however, he had managed to substitute himself with one of the rocks that littered the scarred earth. The sound of the rock being sliced apart let him know that he had nearly been stabbed with a sword.

Stumbling backwards, his chakra still feeling buggy and slippery, he nevertheless steadied himself and leveled a glare at the culprit.

The young man that stood before him was someone he had once called 'brother'. Even now, as his eyes shone with hatred and his blade shrouded with deadly lightning, there was still that ache within him at how low his teammate had fallen. He had thought, hoped that he had returned to the person he once was during the course of the war.

And, like all dreams, he could say that he knew it was too good to be true.

"Sasuke…" His voice was low, yet heavy with resignation. Once again, he bitterly acknowledged that the others were right; he had been too idealistic, too optimistic about Sasuke's return. The others had been wary of the traitor, bar Sakura and himself, but they had needed all the help they could get to overcome the Uchiha.

It didn't help that he had arrived with Orochimaru, the Leaf's greatest traitor and murderer of the Sandaime.

Sasuke said nothing, though he closed his left eye. There was a lull in the moment, an extended period where they stared into each other's eyes. In that instant, Naruto understood everything.

The time for words had long since passed. Physical force was the only thing Sasuke would listen to at this point. There would be no explanation of his ideals, no attempts to reach out and try to steer him back. They had both made their choices.

Now they would have to deal with the consequences.

He winced as his chakra spiked suddenly, sending a wave of power rushing through his body. He could feel her raging inside him, her screams faintly registering in his mind, battering against the seal that kept her stuck within him.

Shit. The seal needed to be stabilized, soon. If he left it for too long, she'd just take over his body and come back.

Sasuke launched himself forward, his body streaking across the battlefield like a bullet. Naruto cursed when he saw the Uchiha cover half the distance within a moment.

"Naruto, just deal with the Uchiha as fast as you can! The others and I will try and keep her distracted!"

He grit his teeth as the chakra surge receded somewhat, just in time to meet Sasuke's charge head-on. Coating his arms with chakra, he swatted the descending slash aside and blocked the follow-up punch. Just as he threw his own punch, prepared to crush Sasuke's throat, Sasuke opened his left eye.

The Uchiha vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving Naruto surprised for a moment. The next thing he knew, a large mass of chakra slammed into his back, flinging him towards the Shinju. As he careened in the air, his eyes caught the large mass of purple chakra that towered towards the heavens.

'_Oh crap…'_

Righting himself immediately, he barely managed to form a counter when the Susano'o fired its arrow towards him. Like lightning it sped through the air, slicing through the air as it streaked towards him.

It disappeared the moment it made contact with his defense, a large blanket of black nothingness that he had managed to bring out. Seven balls made of the same black chakra hung at his back, suspended in midair.

Hastily shifting the makeshift shield into two swords, Naruto substituted to avoid the volley of chakra shuriken that Sasuke shot at him. Explosions razed what little of the earth that remained, kicking up clouds of dirt and further scaring it.

Appearing a meter away from Sasuke, Naruto went through a sequence of hand-seals. "Kokuo, help me out a little! Futton: Kōmu no Jutsu (Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique)!"

He exhaled a cloud of corrosive mist, sending it coiling round his general direction. Even though Sasuke would more than likely remain at a distance and fire projectiles at him, the corrosive mist would at least ensure that he didn't try any surprise attacks from behind.

The surge of chakra that hit him was unlike the others. It flooded his pathways with reckless abandon, the intense pressure sending sharp stabs of pain through his arm. His muscles twitched once, then exploded in a geyser of blood as large bone protrusions speared through.

Naruto tried to hold in the scream that wanted to come out. Gripping his left arm, the one which was now wrecked, he swore as he noticed flecks of chakra gathering at the fingertips.

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" Naruto swore again when the Susano'o breathed a huge fireball towards him, large enough to seem like a small meteor.

"_**Shit! Naruto, aim it at the Uchiha! Hurry!" **_

With a clenched jaw, Naruto aimed the rapidly forming Bijuudama at the approaching fireball. The two attacks met for a moment, the roaring chakra of the Bijuu colliding with the intense flames of the Uchiha, only for the former to spear through the fireball like it was nothing.

The explosion that rocked the battlefield was incredible. Even from where he stood, the tremors still managed to send him stumbling about like a drunkard.

Focusing on the seal, Naruto flooded the construct with the chakra he had received from the Sage. When they had received the chakra, Hagoromo had instructed them on how to seal the Progenitor away…however, what he had left out was the fact that she would be sealed inside the descendant with the most potential to house her.

As a result, the Infinite Tsukuyomi was still in effect and he had no idea how to cancel it.

He tensed and swung his blade, which met Sasuke's and easily sliced through the lightning coated blade. Glaring at the unique Rinnegan that stared angrily at him, he bashed his head against Sasuke's.

"_**Naruto, she's-!"**_

His hair came to life, growing several times longer in the spans of an instant. It latched onto them both, tying their limbs and preventing them from escaping.

"Shit!" Naruto struggled as hard as he could, but he could feel the seal deteriorating further. It was taking all he had just to keep her locked inside him, and he still didn't know how much time he had left.

Sasuke grit his teeth, focusing chakra into his left eye. Madara had been able to do it, so it stood to reason that he could also utilize Sharingan techniques with his stronger Rinnegan. Empowering the jutsu with the chakra he had received from the Sage, he focused entirely on the person he had once called a friend. "It's over, Naruto! I've won! Amaterasu!"

As he prepared to cast the mighty eternal flames, unknown to the last shinobi in the Elemental Nations, something strange happened.

Optimistic and idealistic as he was, Hagoromo was not a fool. There was a reason he had bestowed chakra to Naruto first, as well as why he had changed the seal from encasing the Progenitor in the Chibaku Tensei to sealing it within the one with the most potential between the two.

Indra had been his pride, the son he had always envisioned having; he had inherited special eyes and chakra, took to his teachings like a fish to water and had been the one who shone brighter. Ashura had shown him that he was wrong, and impressed him enough to receive his blessing and be named his successor.

He had seen how Indra had reacted. Watched for generations as their descendants continued the mad cycle of fighting. Understood and hated how the Uchiha and the Senju had become.

So, when he appeared before the current incarnation of Indra, he had taken a few precautions this time around.

Sasuke screamed as his chakra was inexplicably sucked out of his body, travelling through the prehensile hair that held him down into Naruto. His eyes, wide and blazing, watched with horrified fascination as his body began to disappear, drifting apart as flecks of chakra that were integrated within Naruto.

"No…NONONONONONONONOOOOOOO!"

Naruto screamed as the Yin chakra surged into the seal, strengthening and quickly stabilizing it. Still, even though the chakra was ultimately saving him, he felt as though he was dying; the chakra raged and lashed out within him, destroying, healing and destroying his body and chakra pathways in a never-ending cycle of regeneration and destruction.

"_**Naruto, try and bear with it! If you give up now, this will all be for nothing!"**_

Even as he howled his agony to the empty world, the screams of his traitorous teammate gradually ceased as he was absorbed by the seal. The bones that had sprouted from Naruto's arms retracted back to his flesh, which sealed itself up the second it was done. His hair receded, returning to its usual shoulder length, but was now a silver colour.

Finally, as he fell to the soft earth, darkness slowly stealing his sight away, he felt his chakra stabilize.

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><p>She narrowed her eyes as she stared at the young man resting on her lap, the heavy thrum of his chakra enveloping her. Even as she continued to stare at him, idly tracing the whiskers that marked his face, the young girl's expression never changed.<p>

"…Interesting."

For him to continue to exist, even within the uninhabitable void that was the Dimensional Gap, meant he was strong. From the feel of his chakra, which was rather strange and different from what Kuroka had demonstrated to her, he would make a splendid addition to her ranks.

But first he would have to heal and wake up. She couldn't be bothered using her power to revive him; if he couldn't wake up on his own power, then she wouldn't waste any time trying to recruit him.

Opening a portal to Earth, she carelessly tossed him inside. As the portal closed, she smiled when the silence returned.

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><p><strong>AN: Was inspired to do this by 'Naruto the Human Among Devils' and 'The Shinobi Transmigrant'. Hope it goes smoothly.**

**Soooo…this was something I didn't like about Hagoromo: he knew that Sasuke was gonna turn on Naruto, but still gave him a portion of his power? Yeah, they needed it to keep up with Madara (which they did…for a while, anyway) but he had no contingency plan at all? This is what my head came up with, which will be fully explained when Hagoromo shows up again.**

**Exams are starting on 2****nd**** December, so I'll be taking a break until they end, which will be the 10****th****. **

**Read and review,**

**MaelstromBankai.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!**

**Chapter 1: Brand New World**

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><p>"UZUMAKI NARUTO!"<p>

Students scampered and paled as she stomped past them, thunder echoing in her footsteps and lightning dancing in her eyes. Everywhere she went, people made themselves scare or hid away in their books, trying to escape the fury emanating from the usually calm and level-headed Student Council President.

Sona Sitri grit her teeth as she searched class after class for the one _truly infuriating_ thorn in her side. She had honestly never felt this irritated by anyone in her life, not even towards her overprotective big sister, but that damned guy just always managed to get under her skin! Even the very thought of him was enough to rile her up, especially when he flashed her that damned smile of his!

"You two!" A pair of students jumped as she pounced on them, the intensity within her eyes forcing them to take a step back. "Have you two seen Uzumaki recently?!" She demanded, making them take another step back.

"Um…no, I can't say I have, President," replied one of them, the other shaking his head as well. "I think I last saw him in the art room…"

With a quick word of thanks, she was off again to catch that troublemaker. The art room was on the topmost level of Kuoh Academy, allowing a great view of the Academy in its entirety to help stimulate the creative juices of the students. If she wanted to catch Uzumaki before he left the class, she would have to make haste. While she could simply teleport to the hallway leading to the classroom, it wouldn't do to accidentally expose her true self to innocents.

As she hurried to intercept and punish the troublesome student, she hoped Tsubaki and the others had managed to at least detain him. She hadn't heard any announcements over the P.A system, so it was more than likely that they hadn't managed to find him just yet.

Entering the main building, she ran towards the stairs and began to ascend, taking two steps at a time. Students and staff were jostled, but they had more or less grown used to her antics and merely went on with their own business. Finally, she reached the topmost floor and darted towards the Art classroom.

Slamming the door open, her cheeks slightly flushed, a triumphant smirk spread over her face. "Uzumaki-san."

The target she had been chasing for the better part of an hour paid no attention to her, his back still turned towards her. He was alone in the room, surrounded by several canvas with various paintings on them.

There was silence for a moment between the two; Sona was using that moment to catch her breath and calm down whilst her target just continued working on his newest project. Brush strokes sounded in the room, elegant swishes that brought to life the image only he could see.

"Kaichou."

She narrowed her eyes at him. There it was again, that odd way he spoke to people. She couldn't decide whether it was a statement or an acknowledgement.

Straightening her posture, she crossed her arms and set a scowl on his back. She knew he was aware and mindful of her. She didn't know _how_, but she knew he was paying attention. "Uzumaki-san, I happened to hear something most distressing concerning you." Her eyes never left his form, noting that the steady motions he was going through never wavered in the slightest.

"Oh? And what sort of news would that be, Kaichou?" His silver hair, a feature that had turned many men against him, fluttered in the breeze. Reaching his shoulders, the unusual hair shone out amongst the sea of students whenever he was in a crowd.

Sona's frown deepened. He wanted to dance around the subject? Well, he had one more chance to tell her and he knew it. If he didn't, she'd move in for the kill. "Uzumaki-san, several students have come to report to the Student Council about certain actions you've been undertaking." She adjusted her glasses, watching him like a hawk, "They say you've been having sexual relations with some of the female students in your class."

There was a chuckle, as quiet as it was. Though he still kept facing his painting, she could imagine the small smile on his face. "Ah, Kaichou, if only that were true. Unfortunately, my luck with women just isn't good enough for such an outcome to occur; the closest interactions I've had with females have been study sessions."

She arched a brow. "So you're telling me that you left the home of Onodera-san after midnight, with clothes that belong to her older brother no less, because of a study date?" It was times like this that she wished she knew some mind magic; she wasn't planning of messing with his mind or anything, but she needed to get the full story and he could be a royal prick about that. Peeking into his mind and learning what happened would be enough for her.

"Oh? Kaichou, have you been stalking me?" Another line was made, another curve was drawn. "I had no idea you were so interested in me."

She had to admit, he was entertaining to converse with. "Uzumaki-san, have you been and are you sexually active with students of Kuoh Academy?" For Sona, she couldn't afford to tarnish the prestigious name of Kuoh Academy; not only would it besmirch her family's name, but it would also drag down the Gremory name as well.

"Yare, yare. Asking a guy something so personal like that with full force…Kaichou, you should be more considerate of other people's feelings." Sona felt her eye twitch at that, "To tell you the truth, I have in no way been intimate with any student in Kuoh Academy. Onodera-san gave me some of her brother's clothes two nights ago because mine had an unfortunate close encounter with their garden hose. I went home late because I wanted my clothes to dry in a heated room, not in the cool air of the night."

He must've had a sixth sense of some sort, because his next words were, "If you don't believe me, then why don't you ask Onodera-san herself? I'm sure she would be thrilled to set your mind at ease."

She frowned, a little put out that their 'confrontation' hadn't gone about as she had imagined. Sure, she was always incredibly petty whenever Uzumaki came into the picture, but perhaps she was getting a bit out of hand.

"Very well, Uzumaki. Have a good day." With a quick step, Sona Sitri left the strange boy alone in the room.

He hummed to himself as he heard her footsteps recede until there was only silence. Focusing once again on the incomplete painting, he clicked his tongue as he realized that he had made her eyes a bit too round. Erasing that section, he began to trace smaller eyes.

He could see her already, clearer than any image reality gave him; her long, luxurious black hair that flowed in the wind, tracing all sorts of alluring shapes. Her beautiful violet eyes, sparkling with life and joy, unhindered by the sea of eyes staring at her. Her dainty mouth, formed by lips that looked so soft and kissable, made every comment she made a work of art. Her curvaceous and sinfully lewd body called out to him, never failing to stir up desire within him.

Yes, Himejima Akeno-san was a beauty that embodied the 'Yamato Nadeshiko' concept. Visually, at least.

As his strokes continued to give shape, his mind wandered to the young woman he was painting. From the very instant he had laid eyes on her, he had been interested at the depth of hatred and pain that lay underneath that beautiful exterior. It was a nice contrast, masking the negative feelings with a veneer of purity and kindness.

He wasn't too concerned about it, though. Himejima-san might've been one of the few people he conversed with, but they weren't exactly friends…from his perspective, anyway. If she wanted to kill someone, who was he to interfere in her business?

…Huh. His 'Sasuke' personality traits were shining a bit too much these days. Hopefully he wouldn't develop the desire to stab someone in the back.

"_**You're being too loud."**_

Well, talk about a mood-killer. His fingers stilled, halting the development of the painting. "Kaguya. I didn't know you were awake." He focused on one of his completed projects, an emotion slithering inside his chest.

Long, sweeping white hair that complemented her appearance, especially the appearance of nobility. Ruby tinted lips brought attention to the soft and pale skin she had. Pale, almost white eyes stared at him, entrancing him with their unique oxymoronic nature. A regal high-collared, hime-kimono shrouded her body from view, but still exuded intrigue and interest towards her. Two horns protruded from her head, crafting an allusion to a rabbit.

Many students and Miyamoto-san had asked him how he had been inspired to create such a well-done work of art. They all believed the woman was a powerful person, a goddess who ruled her subjects with a stern yet kind attitude. Too bad they only got about half of that assessment right.

"_**Of course you wouldn't. I had no intention of listening to your voice, and the only reason I'm interacting with you is to make you not disturb me."**_ He could imagine the look on her face as she said that, a serious yet somewhat snobbish look she often displayed when she was with those she believed to be inferior to her.

Resuming his painting, his mind drifted to the woman sealed within him. Ever since he woke up, they had interacted a grand total of five times, with most of them being _very_ antagonistic. It didn't help that Kurama and the other Tailed Beasts couldn't interact with him anymore; when he first entered his mindscape, he had come upon them all surrounding Kaguya and encased in stone.

He had, perhaps, been a bit too quick to judge Kaguya as being responsible for their current states.

'_You do realize that we are bound forever, don't you? We can't continue this meaningless charade of hating each other.'_ Yes, even though Kaguya played a pretty significant part in the fucked up development of the Elemental Nations, he continue thinking that she was the main reason why his world was so messed up.

Like it or not, everyone was partially responsible for the state of the Elemental Nations…well, before the Fourth Great Ninja War at least. Black Zetsu was the main instigator of that shitfest.

She scoffed, _**"So long as we exist, the hate that burns for your head will never cease."**_

He narrowed his eyes as he focused a bit more on their conversation. "And wouldn't that break the promise you made with Homura-san?" He said, glancing out towards the compound. Several students were moving towards the cafeteria, meaning he had another hour until his next class.

The silence was glorious. For about three seconds, anyway. _**"…How did you know of that?"**_ He could almost envision the murderous expression she was leveling on him from her prison.

He dropped his brush, taking a step back to admire the painting. It was almost done, depicting the young beauty admiring the flowers along the gardens of the Academy, but he still couldn't get the proportions of her face right. _'You know we are connected by the seal…what you don't know is just how connected we are.'_

He sighed heavily, "I've been seeing them, Kaguya…memories of a life I never lived, a life that I had never dreamed of. I know what happened…I know what you went through. You may think I don't know you, and I'm still in the dark about certain things, but I think I'd know when you're lying to me."

She remained silent, the only indication she was paying attention to him being the continued presence in his mind.

And so they remained, silent and pondering on the changing bond that existed between them.

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><p>"Ara, ara." Disinterested eyes glanced at the smiling beauty standing beside him, unsurprised by her sudden appearance. The first time she tried that stunt, he had been quite impressed with her skill but had taken steps to ensure that it never happened again. "Another perfect score, Uzumaki-kun? Congratulations are in order, aren't they?"<p>

A smile appeared on his face, humble and joyful. He found it quite sad that it was so perfectly fake. "Your kind words brighten my day considerably, Himejima-san. To be acknowledged by the great 'Onee-san' of Kuoh makes my heart flutter…"

She smiled beautifully, giggling at his words.

They were in their last class together, which was also the last class for the day, and just so happened to be History. The last assignment had been on the First World War, a historical event he had always been interested in. He had found it surprising and rather disheartening that the war to end all wars merely turned out to be the first major conflict in this world. Still, he was grateful for the fact that they didn't wield chakra like shinobi did.

That would've been overkill on an astronomical level.

"But Himejima-san did very well as well…" he gestured to her assignment, which had a large 98% proudly displayed. "You got only one question wrong, and that was question 14. Everyone acknowledges that it was the most difficult one."

She smiled at him as the last bell rung, sending students scurrying out of the classroom. "Uzumaki-kun, an almost perfect score is always seen as inferior to a perfect score. Still, thank you for the kind words."

"Oh? Are you after something from me, Himejima-san? Compliments from a great role model such as yourself are very rare to come by, yet you're dropping them so easily…" He rose from his seat, slinging his bag over his shoulders. His eyes widened dramatically, his hand clutching his chest in an exaggerated shock, "Could it be that Himejima-san has feelings for me?!"

She actually laughed out loud at that, her violet eyes twinkling with merriment as she rose as well, "My, my, Uzumaki-kun. You sure do make the most outrageous claims."

Naruto shrugged, heading towards the door. So what if he played the fool every now and then? At least he wasn't a super-serious grade-A asshole…all the time, anyway. "Ah, but making you laugh makes this dreary school life a bit more lively and colorful."

She joined his side, a teasing smile projected at him. "Ara, ara, maybe it's Uzumaki-kun who holds some special feelings towards this Onee-san."

He barked out a laugh, both of them heading out of the main school building.

He still had no idea why Himejima-san seemed so interested in him; their first interaction had been very…odd, and he still kept an eye out for any possible revenge she might inflict on him. Still, he could admit that her company was a breath of fresh air; even with his increased appreciation of solitude, having a companion to speak to was always a welcome experience.

They walked towards the Old School Building, which was the meeting place of the Occult Research Club, which Akeno happened to be the Vice-President of. As someone who wasn't too interested in Occult business, he hardly ever thought of visiting and seeing how the club was run. Akeno had also informed him that only those who were invited by the President, Rias Gremory, would be allowed inside the club.

The thought of the crimson haired beauty had him quirk his lips. Perhaps he should pay another visit to her one of these days.

"Well, I suppose this is where we part ways. See you tomorrow, Himejima-san."

"Ufufufu, goodnight Uzumaki-kun. Be sure to use me as your imaginary lover tonight."

"…Right." Unable to come up with any better response, he turned about and headed towards his apartment.

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><p>Akeno waved her goodbye to Uzumaki, smiling as she watched his figure disappear. She found herself surprisingly sad that he was just a normal human; had he held a Sacred Gear, maybe they could've persuaded him to join Rias' Peerage.<p>

A moment later, she shook her head, ridding those thoughts from her mind. No, Uzumaki was a friend who didn't need to be exposed to the supernatural. Even if she wanted to spend time with him, selfishly wishing for him to be involved in the affairs of Devils, Angels and Fallen Angels would only bring chaos to his life.

Heading up the stairs, she opened the doors to the Occult Research room to hear the sound of running water. Seeing the pile of clothes folded on the couch, she headed towards the pantry to prepare some tea for her King.

"Akeno-chan, is that you?" A voice called out.

She replied, "Hai, Buchou. Have Koneko-chan and Kiba-kun returned?"

The shower sounds were cut off, and Akeno could hear Rias step out of the shower, most likely drying herself off. "No, Koneko-chan hasn't returned yet, which is strange. I didn't think her request would take so long this time."

"Maybe she's eating with the client? You know how she gets when food is involved."

Footsteps made their way to the pantry, revealing the beautiful young woman who made them. Her blue-green eyes glanced at Akeno and she arched a brow. "And what's got you so happy, Akeno-chan?"

Akeno smiled as she placed a steaming cup of green tea on a tray, as well as some biscuits and other snacks. "Oh?"

Rias grew more interested, and planted her hands on her hips. The action made her slightly smaller mammaries bounce erotically, but that was neither here nor there. "You've got that silly smile on your face, though I doubt anyone knows you do."

Akeno gave her a sly look, "Ah, so that's why Uzumaki-kun kept watching my face all that time." Like she predicted, the very mention of his name was more than enough to make Rias' cheeks turn red. It wasn't that noticeable, sure, but she still made it known. "Maybe he wanted to kiss it again? They do say that three time's the charm…wouldn't you agree, Buchou?"

Rias crossed her arms and averted her gaze, "I have no idea what you're talking about." Akeno pounced on her like a hunter on prey.

"Ara, don't tell me you forgot the young man who stole your first and second kiss, did you?"

"S-Shut up! I don't think about it at all!"

"Denial is a bad thing, Rias. If you don't strike fast, someone else might gobble him up."

"I don't like him!"

"So it's alright for me to have him?"

"AKENO!"

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><p>She watched as her warden appeared before her, seated in a cross-legged position. Her eyes narrowed when the moon illuminated the two of them, shining a bright spotlight upon them from above. The stone Bijuu surrounded them, with chains encasing her that extended from them.<p>

Pale eyes locked unto the Rinnesharingan that stared at her, measuring and estimating the road she could take. Even now, as she watched the man who had ruined her plans for the Elemental Nations, she could see _her son_ within him.

He arched a brow, "So…why have you sought me out?" He sounded curious, but she knew he had an idea about what this was about.

"…Uzumaki," He started when she said his name. It certainly was a first, "I wish to discuss our relationship."

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><p><strong>AN: Okay, for reals, this will be the last chapter before the exams. When they're done, I'll focus on 'Demon King of Fairy Tail', 'The Immortal Transcendent' and 'Legacy of the Bijuu' until the end of the year.**

**The kissing thing was inspired by Medaka's kissing spree…man, how I wish I had been one of those boys… (:3)**

**Also, I'd like to point out that Naruto can't sense magic energy. Since he hasn't encountered it before, it makes no snse for him to suddenly detect 'some foreign energy' within the Devils at Kuoh. It's like Nature energy; when he knew nothing of Senjutsu, he had no clue there was something like that within the earth (all life) but when he starts the training, he comes to detect and recognize the nature energy. Unless he's taught to recognize magic energy, I won't have him sense it. Chakra will be what he looks out for.**

**Naruto's left eye is Sasuke's Rinnegan, while his right eye is Kagura's Rinnesharingan. When at school, an illusion prevents people from finding out, but it can be broken (he doesn't think chakra exists in the DxD verse). His body has also been drastically altered, but that will be revealed later.**

**Hinata being around is not a plothole, I have a way to make her existence here and in the Elemental Nations possible and believable without needing a Deus Ex Machina. Trust me, it can work.**

**So…read and review,**

**MaelstromBankai. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!**

**Chapter 2**

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><p><em>Hashirama's country was a shameful contradiction… Man seeks peace, yet at <em>_the same time yearning for war… Those are the two realms belonging solely to man. Thinking of peace whilst spilling blood is something only humans can do. They're two sides of the same coin. To protect something… another must be sacrificed. (Uchiha Madara)_

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><p>"Good morning Uzumaki-kun."<p>

He glanced at her, a warm smiling automatically making an appearance on his face. It was a smooth, practiced action, one he had developed during his childhood. Utterly fake, nothing more than a mask he had welded to his self. "Good morning to you too, Himejima-san. I trust you had a good night's sleep?" He asked, angling his body to keep his attention on her.

As his eyes met hers, he still found himself captivated by their color and emotions. Violet, the color associated with purity, beauty and lucidity; an almost perfect and intricate mesh of her outward personality and physical appearance. Everything about her just came together to project the illusion of a sweet and loving young woman. It actually slightly disappointed him that she wasn't a Kunoichi; with that natural appeal, she could be really good at infiltration and reconnaissance.

The emotions she projected also stuck out. They were all too carefully selected, too painstakingly crafted to be anything other than an illusion. She went through the day as the beloved Onee-sama of Kuoh Academy, always willing to take time off to listen to the other students, constantly hiding the true nature of Himejima Akeno from them.

He had caught glimpses of her true feelings during their time together; a flash of mischievousness, hinting at a teasing nature, snatches of muted delight whenever she made him uncomfortable and all other little details that made her fake emotions stand out more to him.

She gave him a beautiful smile, one that oozed purity and sweetness. Once again, the mask she wore couldn't be farther than her true emotions; even though the hate had diminished slightly, he could still feel the, dare he say it, _youthful _nature of the hatred. It burned just as brightly as he first glimpsed it to be, which made him wonder how she was keeping that hate alive.

Sasuke had clung to the past, refusing to let go of the nightmares that haunted him in the Uchiha compound. Ojii-san had visited him on several occasions to try and reason with him, but Sasuke didn't budge. He didn't want his newfound hatred to fizzle out and die, grasping unto anything to keep it blazing until he could kill Itachi.

"Yes, I even had a beautiful dream last night." The smile she was sending him reminded him of Anko, for some reason. "I found the cutest dog ever, a golden retriever, and we had so much fun together." She made a small sigh, a hint of pink lighting her cheeks, "The way it whined piteously as I stomped on its balls was most invigorating."

He blinked. It seemed that she was becoming more comfortable around him, seeing as the flashes of her true nature were becoming more and more frequent…except he had no idea what to make of it. "That's…nice, I guess." He really wasn't sure what to say at the moment; Akeno was acting more open than usual, and he didn't know what had triggered that openness towards him.

It was also rather awkward for him, and he didn't know what to make of it.

"Yes, it was rather exhilarating. But the best part was when I came upon a handsome young man and brutally raped him." The smile on her face did not correlate with the words coming from her mouth, which created a jarring

"By the way," she sidled closer to him as they walked down the street. He didn't mind the closeness as much as he thought he would, so didn't raise any fuss about it, "did you rub yourself while thinking of me last night?"

…She had to be joking. Really, she had to be kidding around. There was no way she could make such outrageous questions with such a genuinely curious face. Scratching his hair, he decided to go with the truth. "No, I didn't. Himejima-san, you have an odd sense of humor." He said.

"Eh?" She paused, turning wide eyes towards him. She suddenly looked like he had just announced he was really a girl, or something ridiculous like that. Again, the very rare look of utmost surprise caught his attention. "You didn't…use me?"

He gained a sweatdrop. She actually looked slightly hurt at that, noticeably drooping when she made to continue towards the academy. The way she had framed the question also made him wonder just how…different she really was from her persona. "…Was I supposed to?"

Honestly, why was he always encountering all sorts of strange people?

"That's rather rude of you, Uzumaki-kun. When a beautiful woman gives you permission to use her body in pleasuring yourself, it's only common curtesy to do so without complaint." She gave him a disappointed frown, shaking her head at his disbelieving gawking. "Ara ara, it seems like Uzumaki-kun needs some lessons in these kinds of things."

"**She is…very strange."**

He couldn't disagree with that observation. Even if it was somewhat surreal that his tenant was making observations and statements every now and then without uttering any sort of hate-spiel or threat, he could agree with her most of the time.

"Oh? Why are you looking at me like that, Uzumaki-kun?" She looked innocent, but the glint in her eyes didn't mesh with her appearance. "Ara, perhaps you're regretting your decision now? Or would you prefer to ravish me right now?" His sweatdrop grew when she leaned in further and whispered, "If you want, I could help _extract_ your wonderful _essence_, ufufufufu."

"Himejima-san…are you feeling alright?" Really, this was becoming rather alarming. Such a drastic change, over the course of one night no less, was more than just a newfound desire to be more open with him. He was becoming really concerned that someone or something had done…something…to Himejima.

She gave him a sultry smile and grabbed his arm. Sandwiching his limb between her massive breasts, she drew closer to him. Her eyes gleamed with an emotion he couldn't decipher, and he found himself struck by how captivating she was. "Hey…Uzumaki-kun…" the throaty, low way she said his name made his heart jump. As he stared, it really, truly registered to him just how beautiful Himejima Akeno was. It was almost impossible how sensual she looked right now. "Would you please allow this Onee-san to take care of you?"

At that moment, he finally understood just how different the real Akeno was from the fake one.

* * *

><p>Rias watched from the first floor as Akeno walked into the school compound arm-in-arm with Uzumaki Naruto.<p>

Last night had been a strange one. They had been tasked with dealing with a Stray Devil, one who had turned on his master for a rather strange reason. Grayfia hadn't really explained anything about the Stray's reasoning, but Rias hadn't been too interested in knowing why it had rebelled.

As they made preparations to deal with the Stray, Akeno had started a conversation that eventually culminated in a wager between the two. Thinking back, she felt blood rush to her cheeks.

She never knew how Akeno did it, but her Queen had always known when she was hiding something from her. Even though she had denied with every bit of assurance she could muster, Rias knew Akeno wasn't fooled.

Hence their wager.

She didn't know why she had accepted. Maybe she wanted to just be herself and try to forget about the guillotine that was her engagement. Maybe she just wanted to get rid of Akeno's really annoying smirk. Maybe she wanted to get back at Uzumaki for those two kisses he had stolen.

It certainly wasn't because she wanted to kiss him. Nope, not at all.

A sudden scream snapped the Gremory heiress out of her thoughts. Glancing down at the forming crowd, her eyes widened as she caught sight of Akeno and Uzumaki-san locking lips in the center of the ground floor.

From the look of Uzumaki-san's face, this clearly wasn't like the last time; he was rather wide-eyed and startled. Anyone could tell that he wasn't the one to initiate this spectacle.

"Oh my," Rias giggled lightly as she watched, amusement welling within. Granted, the fact that Uzumaki-san was being subjected to the very same treatment he had dished out to them played a huge part of it, but the scene itself was pretty funny.

As she watched on, she wasn't surprised when she heard a pair of footsteps approaching her. Glancing back, her smile grew wider as she found herself face-to-face with Sona and her Queen. "Good morning Sona, Tsubaki-san. I take it you're here to see what all the commotion is about?"

Sona nodded sharply, fixing her glasses as she moved to stand beside Rias. "Yes, but I had a suspicion that Uzumaki-san was behind it." She turned to Rias, arching a brow in curiosity, "I'm surprised that Akeno is the one causing such a ruckus this time. She's usually more mindful of her image than both of us."

Rias nodded in agreement. While it wasn't obvious, Akeno took greater lengths than either Sona or herself to maintain that 'Onee-san' image the students had of her. "It's just a little wager we're having, nothing too serious." She rested her arms on the banister, "We're just trying to see who can make him lose his cool. While I didn't expect Akeno to be so direct about it this early, I can see why she did so."

They continued to watch as Naruto and Akeno eventually separated, since they had different first period classes. Rias was intrigued to note that Akeno looked a little flustered than before, and that Uzumaki-san was a lot more composed than before.

"So this is just a bet, huh?" Sona fiddled with her glasses once more, a teasing smile creeping on her face. "I thought she was finally acting on her feelings towards Uzumaki. After all, he claimed her lips twice already with passion…just like one other 'Great Onee-san'."

Rias whirled about, an angry dust of pink illuminating her cheeks. "No! Not you too!"

Sona shrugged, "It seems strange that you're going out of your way to tease him, and it's well-known that you enjoyed those kisses he stole."

"For the last time, I don't have any feelings for him. And what do you mean by 'well-known'?!"

"Everyone knows that you liked it, they all saw your awestruck face. Honestly, had Uzumaki-san not gone for Akeno as well, I'm pretty sure they might've believed him to be your secret boyfriend or something."

"Grrr."

* * *

><p>Naruto sighed as he trudged up the stairs, resolutely ignoring the stares of the students. It never ceased to surprise him at how fixated these people were on Himejima-san and Gremory-san's lives; every time the two 'Great Ladies of Kuoh' entered a room, they were treated almost as reverently as royalty. Every student looked up to them, and was interested in every action they took.<p>

In fact, the last time something like this happened was when he had stolen Gremory-san and Himejima-san's first kiss.

It had been a random thought, one that had amused him somewhat. Back then, he was a very recluse person and hardly interacted with anyone. Several people had tried approaching him, mostly for his athletic ability, but he had ignored them all.

It was her hair that made him pay attention in the first place. That particular attraction to exotic hair was what had made him pay attention to Sakura initially, which he learned was derived from his old man. Sure, his mother's hair was a very beautiful colour and shade, but the straight Uzumaki hair just didn't compare to the flaring, spiky hair that Gremory-san had.

So, one particular morning, he randomly decided to get her attention. Hey, he had tried several years to get Sakura's attention and had shrugged off almost all her rejections, so he saw no disadvantages with it. If he got shut down, then he would just do what he had always been doing: eat, sleep, train and fight.

So, with less grace than a drunk bull trying to salsa, he had headed straight towards Gremory-san, in full view of her classmates, and planted what had to be the most intense, according to the gossip he had heard, kiss in the history of Kuoh Academy…which wasn't saying much, since the school turned co-ed only a year ago.

The silence had been glorious. No one could believe that anyone, let alone the quiet young man who kept to himself, would be so ballsy as to walk up to the school's idol and claim her lips just like that.

Then, just because he felt like it, he did the same to Himejima-san the day after that. They had bumped into each other, and Naruto had simply acted before she could react. Again, just like with Gremory-san, all students could do was discuss his strange actions, to them at least, and ways to get back at him for 'sullying the two Great Onee-sans of Kuoh'.

The next few days were…mildly amusing. He had been visited by many groups of boys and girls, all intent on tearing him a new one for what he had done. He had been more than happy to ignore them; the amount of work the teachers had been giving them was nothing to sniff at, and he found himself genuinely enjoying most of his lessons. It was a pleasant surprise for him, as years of Iruka's boring lectures had conditioned him to just zone out whenever anything academic was shoved in his face.

His casual dismissal had angered the more zealous students, and he had been ambushed several times by various boys and girls, especially the Kendo team. It was surprising to see them all riled up so much just because he had shattered the image of their idols.

That didn't mean he allowed them to walk all over him, though. Whenever he was ambushed, he always made sure to offer them a chance to walk away peacefully. It wasn't _his_ fault if they felt insulted with his offers; after defending himself from the Kendo Club, he had gotten quite a bit of heat for actually using force on a female.

Something about chivalry? Or was it something else?

When he heard of the concept, he had imagined doing something like that with any of the Kunoichi back home and burst out laughing. He could just see someone like Temari taking his actions as an insult and then beating him up badly for that. Tenten would riddle him with kunai and other sharp weapons, and even Hinata would be displeased at being subjected to that kind of view.

As he made his way towards the class, his lips quirked upwards. It was a bit of an ego-booster to hear people talk about his actions; barring that one incident which he refused to acknowledge, he had no experience with females in the romance department. To not only kiss two of the most popular girls in Kuoh Academy, a place known for its attractive girls, but to do so several times gave him a prideful surge each time he thought about it.

Still…he let out a sigh as he entered the art room and locked the door. Each time he recalled the sensation of their lips on his, he found himself yearning for more and more. It was rather strange; having come to expect continuous rejections, not necessarily Sakura's fault, he was surprised to find himself thinking more and more about kissing.

Was this what puberty did to others?

Walking up to a blank canvas, he scratched his head in thought. Should he try and paint someone from his past? He hadn't done that in a while, and he wanted to capture all the good times he and his friends had before it all went down the drain.

"_**Have you thought of my proposal?" **_

"Son of a bitch…" he exhaled, rubbing his eyes in irritation. "I know you've got nothing better to do than watch the world through my eyes, but you couldn't have picked a better time for this discussion?"

He heard her scoff, _**"This is a matter that has to be settled with the utmost haste. If you truly desire a peaceful truce, then why aren't you agreeing? The benefits we both receive are as good as we're going to get, and I doubt the disadvantages will be of any concern."**_

Picking up a brush, he frowned. Tossing it up and down, he weighed the costs and benefits of Kaguya's proposal one more time. On one hand, having Kaguya materialized in the physical world would help in regards to understanding his new eyes. As she was the only person to have used them the most, having her manifested would make their discussions more enjoyable. Plus, with her around more often his monotonous and dull lifestyle might get more interesting.

On the other hand, allowing her a 'loophole' of sorts just made him uneasy. What if she found a way to recover chakra? While he could sense the amount of chakra that she would have when materialized, it was still a risk. Like himself, Kaguya rarely talked about her abilities; for all he knew, she could have a really troublesome ability which needed very little chakra to activate and he didn't want another clusterfuck to occur again.

Secondly, there was no real guarantee that she would help him as much as he hoped for. So long as she did the bare minimum, she wouldn't be violating the 'contract' and he needed to take that into consideration.

It all boiled down to trust…trust which didn't exist right now. He may have seen a lot more of her traits via the strange dream-memories, but there was still too much tension between them for such a proposal to work.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think this will work out." He sighed as he stood up.

"_**Heh,"**_ He blinked when she chuckled. _**"And here I was, thinking that you would just stupidly accept. At least I know that you've started using your brain more than that bleeding heart of yours."**_

"Wait…you mean you were testing me?"

He heard her laugh once again, **_"Of course I was. As of this moment, any possible proposals I make to you will never come to see fruition. Still, I can at least respect that."_**

* * *

><p>Within an absolute clusterfuck of colors, a young woman hummed a strange tune to herself as she watched the interesting person from before. She didn't have an idea of how long he had been surviving on his own, but she didn't care enough to think about it.<p>

He had recovered, and that was all that mattered.

Still, it was too early to make any assumptions about the man. She hadn't seen him show any sort of power that could benefit her, but that could be attributed to the lack of challenge he suffered from. Also, from what she inferred from the various sessions, he seemed totally unaware of the supernatural.

That was a problem. She knew he was different from others, since he had survived the 'nothingness' of the Dimensional Gap without any magic protection, but she needed to see more of his abilities to properly assess whether he could be useful to her. If he wasn't aware of the supernatural, she couldn't get to see his skills in action. If she couldn't see his true power, then all this would've been a waste.

And she didn't like waste.

Swinging her legs about like a child, she continued to hum as she wondered who to send after her newest possible candidate. She would've liked to witness the subject fare against the White Dragon Emperor, but Vali Lucifer still hadn't made his decision yet. Kuroka was gathering intelligence on the Grigori, so she was sadly unavailable.

After a few moments, she made up her mind.

"Bikou." Yes, he would do nicely.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay, I apologize for taking so long with this chapter. Not only was I taking the most epic beating from real life, but I was also getting screwed over by the most aggravating case of writer's block I've ever experienced. **

**Naruto...will be getting a familiar or two. If I give him just one; Jibril, from No Game No Life. If he gets two...I haven't decided yet.**

**So yeah...Bikou vs Naruto. Let's see how this goes.**

**Unfortunately, this MIGHT be the last chapter I'll upload until the middle of June. Mock exams, driving tests, extra classes and A-Levels take precedence over fanfiction and my novel. If I try and squeeze in one more chapter, it will most likely be a chapter for 'Sun and Moon'.**

**Read and review,**

**MaelstromBankai.**


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